RRJ#5

Reference:

Tip-of-the-Tongue Moments Explained (2010, February 26). FOX NEWS.com. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587483,00.html

Summary:

Tip-of-the-tongue is one of the disappointing emotions because this situation is that in which people know the meaning of the word and its existence, but they can’t say it. It may change with how often people use correct words. Researchers tested people who are bilingual, and people who are inaudible and use American Sign Language for communication to know how they establish and memorize language in the brain. They found that inaudible people have an experience tip-of-the-finger. It may happen nearly once a week, the same as speakers do. When people try to remember a specific word, similar-sounding words will come up in their brain, and shut out the access ability to the certain words. It is called phonological blocking. Next, researchers compared bilingual speakers, and people who can speak English and use ASL. They showed that bilingual people have more experience of tip-of-the-tongue, for they have twice as many words in their brain as phonological blockers. Tip-of-the-tongue is more common in any types of bilinguals because they have difficulty accessing correct words in their brain more than one language speakers.

Reaction:

Actually, I am having some experience of tip-of-the-tongue almost every day. It makes me really frustrated. When I want to say something in English, sometimes I just can remember the Japanese words. Now, I’m learning two languages. Before I learned them, tip-of-the-tongue has just happened a few times. However, when I speak a different language, I can’t remember correct words because many kinds of similar words come up in my brain. Therefore, I agree with the article. From the article, I learned a new interesting thing that deaf people also have this kind of experience like me. They use gestures to communicate, but it is the same as our speaking language. To decrease tip-of-the-tongue, people have to use frequently all languages that they speak. It is difficult for me to try it because my skills of language are not perfect in each of languages that I learn, but I will try it because I would like to learn the languages.